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Pregnancy choices

This topic is for sharing experiences of pregnancy choices; to debate the ethics of termination, visit our Politics or Chat forums.

Medical abortion, feel so sad

61 replies

Amelie1988 · 06/04/2023 19:23

Hi everyone,

I’ve had a medic abortion today. My reasons were that I already have two children, I suffered with postnatal depression after both their births, the first leading to an admission into a mother and baby unit. I’ve just started a new job so wouldn’t qualify for maternity pay and we’re currently living with family in order to save for a deposit. In spite of this, I feel sad and guilty. I think once you have children, you look at them and know what could’ve been. Essentially my heart wanted the baby, but my head knew it wasn’t the right time.

Has anyone else been through similar? x

OP posts:
Saskia2023 · 27/12/2024 22:37

easier said than done but please be kinder to yourself- this brain shutting down and panicing is something i experienced under a lot less stress and its not anything anyone ever talks about nor termnation providers trained to identify. please seek some counselling to help you work through your feelings- its a grief but also a trauma and so hard to tell anyone about but counselling really helped me- over time it will become less raw. im in my 40s and we went on to have another baby and i wont lie- the pregnancy i worried i was going to be punished but is going ok and over time the termination is become a distant memory. you will never know what may have happened to that previous pregnancy- i still try and explain that to myself so it may not have had a happy outcome anyway. message any time- there are a lot of us on here who have been through it and struggled with the emotional aftermath. life will improve x

justfindingmyway · 02/01/2025 21:46

Hi lovely. I’m sorry to hear you’re having to make this difficult decision. Firstly I just wanted to give you a hand squeeze as you aren’t alone; I made the difficult decision to not continue with a pregnancy earlier this year as I realised the extent to which my partner had been emotionally abusive (now ex, luckily!). Secondly, I just wanted to let you know that I decided to see a lady who does something called a ‘womb healing’. Not for everyone, as it’s very spiritual, but it really helped me to process it, and also to just get myself some strength as I really was on my knees at that point in my life. Sending you my thoughts x

BeCandidOP · 03/01/2025 02:34

@justfindingmyway Thank you for your reply. I can relate, as we’ve been going through a very difficult time due to the infidelity and navigating emotional conflict. This was a large part of why I felt panicked and ‘unsafe’ in proceeding with the pregnancy at that time, even though I now see the pregnancy paired with the trauma of the infidelity simply magnified all my fears and anxiety and my husband simply did not understand how the conflict was mentally affecting me unfortunately. I will look into the womb healing, as I am having a lot of turmoil and horrid anxiety in navigating how this all happened.

justfindingmyway · 03/01/2025 22:00

BeCandidOP · 03/01/2025 02:34

@justfindingmyway Thank you for your reply. I can relate, as we’ve been going through a very difficult time due to the infidelity and navigating emotional conflict. This was a large part of why I felt panicked and ‘unsafe’ in proceeding with the pregnancy at that time, even though I now see the pregnancy paired with the trauma of the infidelity simply magnified all my fears and anxiety and my husband simply did not understand how the conflict was mentally affecting me unfortunately. I will look into the womb healing, as I am having a lot of turmoil and horrid anxiety in navigating how this all happened.

Finding out you are pregnant can cause you to feel so very vulnerable can’t it, but then also terribly lonely if you aren’t having the feelings society tells us we ‘should’ have. Sadly, sometimes circumstance robs us of that joy that we feel we should experience. As I say, it was quite spiritual and there were lots of tears on my part, but it helped me to deal with guilt and the complex emotions that come from this. I’ll be happy to help if you want to reach out to the lady I did. Best wishes to you x

Yht · 05/01/2025 13:12

You made a decision with the information you had at the time. Sometimes I think the hormones gives us the strength to act and make a decision best for our lives. It's a difficult grief and unless you've been through it personally, you can't understand.
Be kind to yourself X

BeCandidOP · 05/01/2025 18:38

@Yht yes, at the time with everything going on, I felt scared to bring a baby into such a situation. I also couldn’t know what my mental state would have been through the pregnancy and postpartum, especially if we ended up in a difficult divorce. I unfortunately felt like I had to act quickly given time pressures as well. She was so wanted but the stress and circumstances overshadowed and clouded what should have been the happiest moment in my life, as well as my mind overall. I look at her scans and cry now. I just want her back.
Everyday I struggle to accept and forgive myself.

Summersam97 · 21/01/2025 13:52

I’m falling into such a deep hole. I don’t want to live anymore. I terminated my pregnancy 3 months ago and I miss my baby and made the wrong choice. I hate my life

Kkk17 · 16/07/2026 20:59

Bumble42 · 17/07/2023 14:32

Thank you so much for this post. Im home after having a scan and being prescribed for an early medical abortion. At 42 with 2 of my own children and 2 stepchildren I was never expecting to be in this position, especially due to having a previous ectopic and suffering endometriosis and PCOS.

I had a good cry with my partner in the car after the consultation….I was further on than I expected so the original shock of the test felt like it came back again.

I know we are making the right decision and I’m scared that I’ll be in pain in front of our kids and hoping to take second lot tomorrow evening to manage it whilst they’re sleeping as they are all teenagers and very nosey.

Bumble 42 i know this is an old post but i was in the same sitution as you and still struggle now, how are you now? Xx

Bumble42 · 16/07/2026 21:07

Kkk17 · 16/07/2026 20:59

Bumble 42 i know this is an old post but i was in the same sitution as you and still struggle now, how are you now? Xx

Yes it’s an odd feeling. Some friends of ours had the same due date as us and their daughter is absolutely gorgeous. When we see her it’s my first thought… “we could be them if we hadn’t have made that decision”. Especially hard when the kids say out of the blue it would have been nice to have a little brother or sister and then we’d be a proper family!

Kkk17 · 18/07/2026 18:38

Bumble42 · 16/07/2026 21:07

Yes it’s an odd feeling. Some friends of ours had the same due date as us and their daughter is absolutely gorgeous. When we see her it’s my first thought… “we could be them if we hadn’t have made that decision”. Especially hard when the kids say out of the blue it would have been nice to have a little brother or sister and then we’d be a proper family!

Bumble42 I know I feel the same me and my partner haven't got kids and I would have loved to have been a proper family but at the time I had alot going on and my older daughter said it would be a spastic child she was horrible I had not long been with my partner . I still regret the decision now and dont know how to move forward xx

Kkk17 · 18/07/2026 18:42

Bumble42 I know I feel the same me and my partner haven't got kids and I would have loved to have been a proper family but at the time I had alot going on and my older daughter said it would be a spastic child she was horrible I had not long been with my partner . I still regret the decision now and dont know how to move forward xx

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